Washing machine



Aug. 9, 1932. REDDIG 1,870,785

WASHING MACHINE Filed June 16, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet l m/ vz/v 70/? CHARLES E. fieoo/a A T TOR/V5 V C. E. REDDIG WASHING MACHINE Aug. 9, 1932.

Filed June 16. 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q Q w a //v VE/VTOR UHAHLEs E. fizpo/a Aug. 9, 1932. Q REDDlG 1,870,785

WASHING MACHINE Filed June 16, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Aug. 9, 1932 UNITED STATES CEARLES E. REDDIG, OF KEW GARDENS, COMPANY, INC 015 NEW YORK,

NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GRAYBAR ELECTRIC N. ,Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK 'wasnmo momma:

Application med-June 1a,

This invention relates to washing machines.

A feature of the invention is the provision of means in the form of a for reciprocating the agitator at different angular distances and speeds whereby clothes of different material may be given theproper washing treatment, while effecting a saving in time and in the operating cost of the machine.

Another feature is the provision of means whereby the speed of the agitator may be changed in a simple and positive manner while the machine is in operation.

Another feature is the provision of improved means in the form of a friction drive mechanism which provides a maximum degree of safety in the operation of the wringer and wherein the number of operating parts are reduced to a Another feature is the provision of means whereby a centrifugal water operatively connected with the driving mechanism of the machine, the driving member of such connection being locked in the operated or idle position automatically through the operation of an eifective and simple mechanism.

Another feature is the provision of a protecting casing which effectively protects the wash tank and the catching of the clothes in the moving parts of the machine when in operation.

Other features of the invention and advantages will appear from the following description and by the claims appended thereto, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a ing machine;

Fig. 2 a partial cross-sectional view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a top assembly view of the multiple speed drive mechanism Fig. 4 is a detailed view thereof;

Fig. 5 is a detailed view of the gear shift mechanism;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of tator used in this machine;

Fig. 7 is a top view of the frame supportperspective view of the wash gear mechanism pump may bev the improved agi- 1928. Serial 1T0. 285,951.

g the motor and the transmission belt tensioning device showing the motor in position thereon; and

Fig. 8 is a view of the toggle-joint used for controlling the operation of a water pump used in this machine.

Referring to the drawings, an outer casing 10 of the tank or tub has an inwardly extending peripheral rim 11 as shown in Flg. 2. In casing 10 and concentric therewith is mounted a water receptacle 12 having an outwardly extending peripheral rim or seat 13. Interposed between the casing rim 11 and the tank rim- 13 there is a rubber gasket 14 and on'the upper side of tank rim 13 there is disposed another rubber gasket 13 on which a circular rim or cover 16 rests, and the whole is secured together by a number of bolts, such as 17. The rims and gaskets cooperate to seal the top of the tank for preventing any leakage of water between the casing 10 and the tank 12 when the machine is in operation, and a cover therewith for completely closing the tank.

The bottom of tank 12 is preferably concave to permit the complete draining of the water through a nected by an ordinary tubing, not shown, to the inlet pipe 19 of a centrifugal water pump 20, shown in Fig. 3, and the outlet end of the pump is connected to a piece of rubber hose 19', which may be hooked on the top of casing 10, as shown in Fig. 1.

' In the central portion of tank 12 there is mounted a vertical hub member 21. This hub. member has its lower end portion reduced in diameter in a manner to form a shoulder portion against which a metallic disc 22 is positioned. The end of this reduced hub portion is screw threaded and engages a screw threaded disc which is formed integrally with a casing cover 24 of the operating mechanism housing which will be hereinafter described in detail.

Interposed between the disc 22 and the bottom of the tank is a gasket 23 and interposed between the disc of side of the tank there is another gasket 23.

These gaskets cooperate with discs. 22 and 23 to form an eflicient seal to prevent the accipipe 18 which may be con-' 9 which fits the opening in rim 16 cooperates casing 24 and the under undue frictionalresistance in the movement ber 21. The other end of this shaft extendsthrough a bearing 29 in cover 24 and into casing portion 26, roller bearing 28 and thrust bearing 27 being provided at the end of the shaft for supporting and eliminating of the shaft 25. The casing 26 may be secured to cover24 by a number of bolts 30 and the cover 24 to a bar 1040f a frame structure mounted in the lower portion of casing 10. On the upper end of shaft 25 there is mounted a square member 31 secured thereto by pin 32, as shown in Figs. 2 and 6.

Member 31 has shoulder portions 33 adapt-' ed to support an agitator member 34 in position on shaft 25. The agitator member 34, shown in detail in Fig. 6, preferably consists of four equally spaced plates or vanes 35, 36, 37 and 38, each integrally formed with the body portion 34 which terminatesat its upper end into a hub shaped portion having a mortise adapted to fit snugly the square shaped member 31. Agitator member 34 is held at its lower end portion concentric with respect to hub portion 21 by a flange hearing member 39 which fits loosely the reenforced portion of hub 21 and has its flange portion secured to the agitator by a number of screws 40.

Motor 41 is supported by two wooden beams 100 and 101 and held securely thereon by a number of bolts 106 shown in Figs. 2

and 7. These beams are slidably mounted intwo parallelly disposed U-shaped channel members 102 and 103, each secured at one end portion to the cross bar 104, in turn, riveted at each end portion to the casing reenforcing rim 105 to which the other end portions of channel members 102 and 103 are also riveted.

A screw 110 which threadedly engages a steel plate 112 secured to the wooden rim 100 of the motor supporting frame is provided for controlling the tension of a transmission belt 44. This screw may be manually actuated by a knob 111 disposed outside of casing 10.

The movement of motor 41 is imparted to shaft 25 and the agitator 34 carried thereby by pulleys 42 and 43, the transmission belt 44 and a gearing mechanism, the operation of which will be hereinafter described in detail. Pulley 43 is mounted on one end of shaft 45 and held securely thereon by pin 46, shown in Fig. 3. This shaft is journaled at each end in casing 47 and a stufling box 48 secured to this casing is provided for preventing any seepage of oil from casing 47. To the inner end of shaft 45, there is securely mounted a worm screw 49 which meshes with a worm wheel 50 secured to themiddle portion of a there is rotatably gagement with vertically disposed spindle 51 by pin 51. Thisv spindle 1s-journaled in casing portions 26 and 47 and carries at its upper end a crank member 52, provided for actuating a gear rack 53 shown in Figs. 2' 3 and 4, respectively. Spur gear 54 which forms part of the high speed mechanism is mounted on the lower end of shaft 25 and is held securelyw thereon by an ordinary key 56. Spur gear 55 which forms part of the low speed mechanism is telescopically mounted on gear 54, but held against rotary movement thereon through the intermeshing of its interiorly cut gear teeth with the teeth of gear 54. Gear 55 carries a collar 57 which is engaged by a forked lever 58, loosely mounted on a shaft 59 but held against rotary movement on this shaft by a pin 62. This shaft is slidably mounted in bearings 60 and 61 which may be integrally formed with casing portion 26, and a slot 63 in the forked lever 58 permits the axial movement of shaft 59 for operatively engaging a lever 66 and thereby controlling the movement of the rack 53in or out of en- 7 ars 54 and 55 in the following mannen' ver 66 is loosely mounted on a pivot 67 secured in casing portion 26 and carries at its free end a roller disposed m an inverted U-shaped guide member 64 carried by the rack 53. A tension spring 68- which has one end hooked to a lug 69 and the other end to a fin carried by lever 66 is ada ted for normally holding the rack in opera le engagement with gears 54 and 55 according to the position of a gear shift lever 70. Gear shift lever 70 is pivoted in the bottom of a V-shaped guide member 72 and is'iinked to shaft 59 by a connecting sleeve 71. as shown in Figs. 3 and 5. Gear shift lever 70 may be moved in a groove 72', adjacent marked positions for stopping or changing the speed of the agitator 34. Stops are provided in the groove for holding the gear shift lever 70 and the rack controlled thereby in each position against the tension of spring 68.

On the collar of stufiing box 48 there is rotatably mounted a spur gear 73 which meshes with a gear 74 secured on one end of shaft 75 of the centrifugal water pump- 20. Gear 73 carries at its outer face a clutch member 7 6 disposed in engageable relation with an associated clutch member 77 carried by pulley 43. Clutch member 77 is slidably mounted in slots 78 and is normally held in retracted posi ion by a spring 79 but may be moved in operativerelation with the clutch portion of gear 73 by a handle lever 80 shown in Fig. 8. The engagement of clutch member 7 6 and 77 is effected by the downward movement of lever 80, which movement is efiective to impart a pivotal movement to double-armed .lever 81 through link 82 connected to handle clutch lock her of screws 91, each is to be noted that lever and the movable member 77 controlled thereby are ed in engaged or disengaged positlon against the stops 83 or 84 under the action of spring 79.

On the upper face of worm gear 50 there is mounted a spur gear 85 which meshes with a spur gear 86 loosely mounted on the lower endof a vertical shaft 87. Gear 86 has a friction clutch surface 88- which registers with a similar shaped surface of a double cone'member 89 secured to'the wringerdriving shaft 87 mounted a friction clutch member 90which is resiliently forced in engagement with the opposite faces of cone member 89 by a numbearing on its respect1ve compression spring 92. Wringer 94 which may be of any well known construction is driven by shaft 87 through a gear mechanism enclosed in casing 95 and a clutch device, not shown, is controlled by the movement of handle lever 96 to permit the bodily movement of the wringer in a horizontal plane in a number of convenient operating positions.

-To that portion of the casing which extends below the reenforcing rim there is securely mounted the upright supports 113, 114 and 115. This portion of the casing 10, further effectively prevents the clothes from catching accidentally into the moving parts when the machine is in operation.

In the operation of this washing machine the gear shift lever 70, which normally rests in the Off position, as indicated by the dotted line in Fig. 3 is effective to hold the rack 53 out of engagement with gears 54 and 55 through the engagement of shaft 59 with lever 66 against the tension of spring 68. In that position the reciprocating movement of rack 53 imparted thereto through the operation of motor 41 is ineffective to transmit its motion to agitator 34. However, upon the movement of gear shift lever 70 from the Off position to the On-Slow position, for example, the gear 55 is first moved in juxtaposition with the rack 53 by the pivotal movement of shaft 59 and forked lever 58 carried thereby wherein the axial movement of the shaft is eifective to free the rack 53, which is moved in engagement with gear 55 of the low speed drive mechanism by spring 68. Similarly, the movement of gear shift lever 70 from the Off position to the On-Fast position is effective to move gear 55 below the operating plane of rack 53 and the axial movement of the shaft is effective to free the rack, which, as above described, is moved in engagement with gear 55 of the high speed drive mechanism. By the use of this multiple speed mechanism, it is to be noted that both the speed and the angular distance in the movements of the agitator are changed in may be by a pin 93. On gear 86 is 1 I ,ment betweenthe other order to give the proper washing: treatments to difierent material The water from the tank 12 may be drained by the action of the centrifugal pump by the operation of lever 80in the manner above described.

i The pivot and bearing portion of rack 53 lubricated through an oil tube which extends from the outside of casing 10 to a point ad'acent and perpendicular to an oil -cup carrled by the crank 52, as shown in Fig. 2. I

What is claimed is: I

n a washing machine, the combination (if an impeller shaft, a' plurality of relatively movable pinions of different diameter connected to said shaft, an oscillating gear engaging one of said pinions, nected to said pinions gaging said gear fromrelatively moving said and means conand gear for d1sensaid one imon and pinion and said gear.

In a washing machine, the combination of an impeller shaft, a driven member connected thereto, and a driving member connected to the driven member, one of said members comprising a gear, the other member comprising a plurality of movable gears of different-radius adapted to be severally engaged by the other gear, and means for disengaging the first-named gear from one of the last-named gears and relatively moving said last-named gears for between another of said last-named gears and the first-named gear. 1

- 3. In a washing machine, the combination of an impeller shaft, a driven member connected thereto, and a driving member connected to the driven member, one of said members com-prising a pair of pinions of different diameter, one of said pinions being shiftable relatively to the other pinion, the other member comprising a gear engaging said one pinion, and means for shifting said one pinion and disengaging the gear therefrom for engagement with the other pinion.

4. In a washing machine, the combination of an impeller shaft, a driven member connected thereto, and a driving member con. nected to the driven member, one of said members comprising a pair of relatively shiftable pinions, the other member comprising a gear adapted to engage either of said pinions, and selective means for relatively shifting said pinions for engagement of either of said pinions by said gear and simultaneously withdrawing said gear to enable the shifting of said pinions.

5. In a washing machine, the combination of an impeller shaft, a driven member connected thereto, and a driving member connected to the driven member, one of said members comprising a pair of' relatively movable pinions of different diameter, the

pinions or engage-v engagement other member comprising a gear normally engaging one of said pinions, and means for disengaging the gear from said one pinion iand relatively moving said pinions to en- 5 gage the gear with the other pinion.

6. In a washing machine, the combination of an impeller shaft, a pinion secured to the shatt, a second pinion splined on the first pinion, a driving rack adapted to engage either of said pinions to drive the impeller shaft at two different speeds, and means connected to the rack and second pinion for simultaneously shifting the second pinion relatively to the first pinion and withdrawing the rack to enable the shifting of the said second pinion.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 13th day of June, 1928.

- CHARLES REDDIG. 

